Month: February 2019

New estimates published today show that there were more than half a million (around 661,000) total cases of congenital syphilis in 2016, resulting in over 200,000 stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Syphilis is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections globally, with approximately 6 million new cases each year. If a pregnant woman who is infected does not receive early and effective treatment, she can then transmit the infection to her unborn infant. This is known as ‘congenital syphilis’, which is often fatal. It can also cause low birth…

THE Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine has been administered to over 50 000 people in Harare since Monday. By Kudakwashe Pembere UNICEF Zimbabwe tweeted that the targeted suburbs are currently receiving the vaccination. “The Typhoid Conjugate Vaccination Campaign is currently ongoing in Mbare, Mufakose, Kuwadzana, Hatcliffe, Budiriro, Hopley, Glen Norah, Dzivarasekwa and Glen View. Over 50,000 have been vaccinated already. Get vaccinated today,” encouraged the organisation. The campaign running until 4 March is targeting children aged 6 months to 15 years old. “In Mbare district, where the disease has impacted adult populations,…

GLOBAL Aid Missions, a non-governmental organization that supports people with Albinism, has opened the country’s first albinism free clinic By HealthTimes Reporter The GAM Health Clinic situated at number 53 Central Avenue in Harare, will also be open to the general public. “People with Albinism (PWA) have been for a long time marginalized from the mainstream healthcare services due to stigmatization and poverty, and the purpose of this clinic is to close the gap. Our mission is to make the lives of people with Albinism a living experience through the service provision of GP Consultations, Sexual…

MOST pharmacies in Harare are still using the black market foreign currency exchange rate shunning the official rate of US$1: RTGS$2, 5, HealthTimes has established. By Kudakwashe Pembere In a survey around the city’s pharmacies, the publication discovered that they were charging between the range of US$1 as to RTGS$4 and RTGS$4,50. Most pharmacies even hiked the prices of their medicines in the US$. Asked about the monetary policy view as presented by Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr John Mangundya, a pharmacist said it was about time they conceded…

THE first phase of the construction of Zimbabwe’s public health emergency outbreak operation centre located at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals will be complete by March, a health expert has said. By Kudakwashe Pembere This centre comes as part of the recommendations by the World Health Organisation promoting the use of one tool to streamline the response: a Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC). These centres are an essential part of a response because they provide a physical location for the management team to coordinate information and resources. In an interview…

GOVERNMENT begins rolling out a mass typhoid vaccination campaign intended to mitigate the menacing waterborne disease among its citizens. By Kudakwashe Pembere The implementation of this programme makes Zimbabwe the first African country to take up the large scale vaccination against typhoid which unlike other typhoid vaccines in September can be administered to young children and long lasting immunity. Briefing the press, Health and Child care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo hoped the program to have coincided the same time as the first phase of the vaccination dose. “I would like…

STATISTICS indicate that Zimbabwe is amongst some of the few countries progressing towards attaining the 90-90-90’s. The triple 90s is an ambitious treatment target towards eradicating AIDS by 2020, that is next year. By Michael Gwarisa Under the 90s framework, by 2020, 90% of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status. By 2020, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy. By 2020, 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression. However, for Zimbabwe getting to the first 90…

ZIMBABWE has to date received at least 10 SAMBA machines meant for early diagnosis of HIV in infants, a move set to speed up detection of HIV in new born babies and children. By Michael Gwarisa The SAMBA HIV testing technology comes at a time Zimbabwe is making inroads towards eliminating mother to child transmission of HIV and the new technology will aid in detecting the virus early making it easy to initiate the young ones on anti-retro viral medicines. Officiating at the Handover Ceremony of 10 SAMBA machines to…

A second dose of the cholera vaccine will be administered to the public in the next 30 days, a Cabinet official has said. By Kudakwashe Pembere Despite the cholera epidemic having been controlled, a number of latest cases continue be recorded in communal areas with latets having been detected in Mutoko. Over 50 people succumbed to the water borne disease across the country with the majority of deaths reported in Glen View and Budiriro which was the hotspot. Health and Child Care Minister Dr Obadiah Moyo said in an…

KAROI rural district is battling a surge in Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and teen pregnancies owing to an unprecedented rise in risky sexual behavior by young people. By Kudakwashe Pembere recently in Hurungwe This emerged at the International Condom Day commemorations in the district on Saturday. Officiating the event, Hurungwe district administrator Ms Makepeace Muzenda said there was a spike in new STI cases. “There is a lot of traffic in our town, there by meaning a lot of sexual activity that also happens. As a town we have…